1369 INNOVATIVE FLOATING PHOTOVOLTAIC FARM IN POST-MINING AREAS – THE POSTEN PROJECT *R. Hildebrandt1, K. Stankiewicz2, S. Bartoszek2, W. Rasińska2, M. Kasprzak3, M. Zygmanowski3, M. Fiołka4, K. Fiołka4, M. Wójcik5, M. Polus6 1Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute, Poland, (*Presenting author: rhildebrandt@gig.eu) 2KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology, Poland 3Silesian University of Technology, Poland 4KTKM Sp. z o.o., Poland 5SWE Sp. z o.o., Poland 6NOVUM-SERVIS s.r.o., Czechia ABSTRACT Coal phase-out in Europe generates extensive post-mining landscapes which reclamation and new economic use typically take decades. In particular, newly formed pit lakes and subsidence reservoirs typical for mine operation areas remain underutilized, despite being well suited for renewable energy deployment. The idea of a floating photovoltaic power plant developed in the POSTEN project allows for the additional use and development of areas transformed by a long-term mining activities which align with current requirements of just transition in coal regions. The proposed system combines modular composite floating structures with a single-wire energy transfer, dedicated anchoring systems, as well as an integrated PV tracker and energy management system. The design aims to enable safe and economically viable installation of floating photovoltaic system already at an early stage of post-mining reclamation, when shorelines, access infrastructure and final land uses are still evolving. The paper outlines the overall system architecture, discusses key structural and electrical design choices. It also addresses environmental and social boundary conditions relevant for post-mining water reservoirs, ecosystem protection and coexistence with future uses. Particular attention is paid to the use of advanced composite materials in the floating platforms, the configuration of the single-wire energy transfer link between islands and shore, and the role of the energy management. Methodologically, the work discusses hard coal mining transformation in Europe, with particular emphasis on post-mining areas, while presenting the possibility of their development by the means of innovative floating photovoltaic power plant solutions. KEYWORDS Coal phase-out, land reclamation, green transformation, floating photovoltaics 1. INTRODUCTION The transformation of energy systems is nowadays shaped directly by binding climate-neutrality commitments at both international and European levels. Overall, the Paris Agreement requires parties to keep the global average temperature rise well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit that rise to 1.5°C (UNFCCC, 2015). Recent IPCC assessments make it clear that this pathway demands rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all sectors, including power generation and energy-intensive industries, together with accelerated adaptation to impacts already locked into the climate system (IPCC,
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